News

"Fiscally responsible" candidate declared bankruptcy

Related Tags:

A Republican running for Congress in western Massachusetts has been stressing the importance of fiscal responsibility and limited government while declining to divulge a court-approved personal bankruptcy that wiped out $140,000 in unpaid bills and $8,000 in unpaid income taxes.

Documents obtained by The Associated Press show Thomas Wesley of Hopedale was granted bankruptcy protection under Chapter 7 in Connecticut in 2000. Hopedale is in a two-way race Tuesday for the GOP nomination in the 2nd Congressional District.

Wesley is battling Jay Fleitman, a Northampton doctor, for the Republican nomination to face Democrat Rep. Richard Neal of Springfield in the general election.

Wesley said the bankruptcy should not undercut his efforts to portray himself as fiscally responsible